Wheel well pulling devices

ABSTRACT

A pulling tool equipped with an attachment mechanism is provided to provide tension to pair of pulling tools, and includes a pulling bar formed with multiple attachment ports. Each pulling tool is equipped with a pulling chain or cord that extends between an attachment port on the pulling bar and the pulling tool. The pulling tools may be attached along the length of the wheel well to exert a tension force in two different locations.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/480,702, by the same inventor, and filed on Jun. 23, 2003, currently co-pending.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive repair tools. The present invention is particularly, though not exclusively, useful for the grasping and pulling of wheel wells and fender wells of automobiles to repair damage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The inventor of the present invention has previously developed a number of autobody repair tools as shown in currently pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/309,776 entitled “Wheel Well Straightener”. The disclosure of that application is herein incorporated fully by this reference as if fully reprinted herein, and made a part of this disclosure.

[0004] In some cases, the inventor has experienced a need for a small, more portable, and self-contained method for pulling on the tools of the present invention. In light of this need, the Inventor has developed a series of smaller, more agile wheel well pulling tools to complement the tools disclosed in the prior application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention includes a pulling tool equipped with a variety of attachment mechanisms to facilitate the agile use of the pulling tool to repair localized wheel well damage. A first attachment mechanism is intended to work with a pair of pulling tools and includes a pulling bar formed with multiple attachment ports. Each pulling tool is equipped with a pulling chain or cord that extends between an attachment port on the pulling bar and the pulling tool. The pulling tools may be attached along the length of the wheel well to exert a tension force in two different locations.

[0006] A second attachment mechanism includes the pulling tool being equipped with a threaded receiver sized to receive a threaded end of a slide hammer pulling bar, such as those sold under the trade name “Morgan Nokker.” Briefly, a slide hammer includes a pulling bar having a handle and a weight disposed about the bar and slidable thereon to that an impact force may be exerted on the bar by sliding the weight down the bar to the handle where it stops abruptly.

[0007] A third attachment device is intended to work in cooperation with the original pulling tools having a cutout for receiving a pulling hook. The device includes an insertable plug sized to be received in the cutout, and formed with a hole for receiving a retaining bolt. A second retaining washer may be used and placed adjacent the insertable plug to retain the plug in the cutout.

[0008] A block is formed on its face with a threaded bore for receiving the bolt extending through the retaining washer and insertable plug to hold the pulling tool securely against the block. The top surface of the block is formed with another threaded bore sized to receive the threaded end of a slide hammer pulling bar, such as those sold under the trade name “Morgan Nokker.”

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0009] The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pulling tool assembly of the present invention showing a first and second pulling tool, each attached to a attachment port on a pulling bar to provide a multi-point attachment of the pulling tool to a wheel well;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the pulling tool assembly of the present invention showing the attachment of a pulling tool to a threaded end of a slide hammer pulling bar, such as those sold under the trade name “Morgan Nokker;”

[0012]FIG. 3 is a top view of the pulling tool assembly of FIG. 2 showing the radius of curvature of the pulling channel, and the location of the threaded bore; and

[0013]FIG. 4 is a exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the pulling tool assembly of the present invention showing the attachment of a traditional pulling tool to a block for attaching to the threaded end of a slide hammer pulling bar, such as those sold under the trade name “Morgan Nokker.”

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention includes a pulling tool generally designated 100, and includes a pulling bar 102 having a center pull ring for attachment to a tension source, such as a frame machine or “come-along”. The pulling bar 102 is also formed with multiple attachment ports 106 sized to receive a pulling chain or cord 108 that extends between an attachment port 106 on the pulling bar 102 and a pulling tool 110 and 112. The pulling tools 110 and 112 may be attached along the length of a wheel well to simultaneously exert a tension force in two different locations.

[0015] In this embodiment, as the distance between the desired tension points on the wheel well change, the pulling tools 110 and 112 may be moved along the bar 102 to different attachment ports 106 so that the pulling channels 114 and 116 may properly engage a wheel well pinch weld. As shown in this Figure, the grasping channel 120 may have a width 118 sufficient to closely receive the pinch weld of a wheel well to securely grasp the weld for pulling by placing tension in direction 122 on ring 104.

[0016] Referring now to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown, generally designated 200, and includes a pulling tool 202 being equipped with a threaded receiver 204 sized to receive a threaded end 216 of a slide hammer pulling bar 214, such as those sold under the trade name “Morgan Nokker.” As discussed above, a slide hammer includes a pulling bar 214 having a handle and a weight disposed about the bar 214 and slidable thereon to that an impact force may be exerted on the bar in direction 220 by sliding the weight down the bar to the handle where it stops abruptly.

[0017] From this view, the weld 206 to attach pulling tool 202 to receiver 204 is shown, as well as the curvature of the pulling channel 208. It is to be appreciated, however, that the pulling channel may be straight, or may be formed with a curvature of nearly any radius to accommodate wheel well pinch welds having different curvatures.

[0018] The pulling channel 208 has a grasping channel 212 of a thickness 210 that is sufficient to closely receive a pinch weld, such as 0.125 inches. Different thicknesses are fully contemplated herein.

[0019] A top view of the second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3, and provides a clear view of the curvature of the pulling channel 208 and an exemplary radius 222.

[0020] Referring now to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the wheel well pulling device of the present invention is shown and generally designated 300. Device 300 is intended to work in cooperation with the original pulling tools 302 disclosed by the inventor in his prior applications cited above, and having a grasping channel 306 with a flap 304 to closely receive a wheel well. The pulling tool 302 is formed with a cutout 306, typically used for receiving a pulling hook. In the present embodiment, the device 300 includes an insertable plug 310 sized to be received in the cutout 308, and formed with a hole 312 for receiving a retaining bolt 318. A second retaining washer 314 formed with a hole 316 may be used and placed adjacent the insertable plug 310 to retain the plug 310 in the cutout 308.

[0021] A block 320 is formed on its face with a threaded bore 322 for receiving the bolt 318 extending through the retaining washer 314 and insertable plug 310 to hold the pulling tool 302 securely against the block 320. The top surface of the block is formed with another threaded bore 324 sized to receive the threaded end 326 of a slide hammer pulling bar 328, such as those sold under the trade name “Morgan Nokker.” By use of the sliding weight motion of the slide-hammer, a force may be exerted on the pulling tool 302 in direction 330 to provide a movement force to the wheel well pinch weld inserted firmly into the grasping channel 306.

[0022] While the wheel well pulling tools of the present invention as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A wheel well pulling device, comprising: a pulling tool formed with a grasping channel to receive a wheel well pinch weld; and a threaded receiver sized to receive a threaded end of a slide hammer pulling bar. 